Chapter 10

Iexhale sharply as I pace through my cell, measuring each step while I try to focus on the rest of this mission. By now, Yossul and Fadai have been checked into the Blackwood Inn, likely planning the next few steps.

They need to get back here and get me out so we can check the hangar so we can make our assessment. Once that’s done, I’ll get away from Pearl City, and they’ll stay back, still undercover, close to the enemy so we can better our odds in the second stage of this mission.

It”s easy to succumb to the pressure when you have everything to lose.

After what we’ve been through, after all the gains, and after all the burials we’ve had to attend, I don’t want it to end here. I don’t want to draw my last breath with the sour taste of failure on my lips. Dammit, I don’t want to die just yet because that’s what will happen if Shaytan and Blaze claim me as their own.

That won’t be a life worth living, and I will inadvertently get myself killed before I’ll let those monsters touch me. The mere thought of such an outcome has my throat tied up in knots. The sound of incoming footsteps sends my senses flaring all over the place. I know who it is before he even walks through the door.

Blaze Pyrin stops in front of my cell, wearing a most satisfied smirk. His black leather uniform bears distinctive gold-thread embroidery, and he has gold-plated tresses on his broad shoulders. He smells of burnt wood and a spiced cologne, his black hair combed and braided down his back.

“What do you want?” I grumble as I cautiously step back into the shadow of my cell’s farthest corner. There are soldiers outside, but none will intervene if he tries something. And judging by that sneer on his face, he’s got some ideas.

“Just checking in on my bride-to-be,” he says. “Are you comfortable?”

I snort a mocking chuckle. “You’ve got a serious case of delusion. I’ll never be your mate.”

“Mine and Shaytan’s. We’re a package deal.”

“All the more reason for me to run screaming in the opposite direction.”

“The Kreek brothers can’t save you,” he says. “You might as well embrace the truth. This is where you ended up after so many years of fighting a useless fight. The universe is trying to tell you something, Jewel.”

The Kreek brothers are on their way to get me out of here so we can blow up your precious starship. I’d love to be able to say that to Blaze so I can wipe that smirk off his face, but discretion is of the utmost importance. Plus, I need to make sure their cover isn’t blown.

“They’ll track me up here,” I say. “Don’t underestimate their skills.”

“Oh, I’m not underestimating anything,” Blaze replies. But with both Shaytan and me present here, there’s no way in hell the Kreek brothers will even get past the gates. We’ve tightened security and have additional drones out surveying the area. Jewel, you are precious cargo and a highly desired prize. Now that we have you, we’re never letting you go.”

“How could you let yourselves fall this low?” I scoff, shaking my head in disgust. “From a civilized society that could’ve worked together to save itself, you all just gave up on everything and started killing each other. It’s pathetic.”

“You’ve been a part of it since you came to Sunna,” he says. “You bear some of the responsibility. Had you simply surrendered, had you accepted your fate from the beginning, this war would’ve ended years ago.”

“That couldn’t be further from the truth, and you know it. You’re all still lying to yourselves, I see.”

“And speaking of lying to oneself,” he says, then takes out a key and casually enters my cell, “aren’t you tired? This is only going to end one way. I can smell the Kreek brothers all over you, but that bond isn’t fully formed until a child is born. I will be the one who plants a seed in your womb.”

My muscles tighten and my stomach growls furiously as my heart starts racing. Each step he takes toward me makes me feel small and weak. “You’d better keep your fucking distance.” Thoughts swirl around in my head. Possible strategies. How the hell do I keep him away from me? He’s clearly up to something, and I doubt I’ll enjoy it.

“Or else what?” He laughs. “Jewel, I’m going to make you understand, once and for all, that you no longer dictate any terms here on Sunna. You are mine. Mine and Shaytan’s.”

“I’m nobody’s but my own!” I snarl, my hands balled and ready to strike.

I doubt I’ll manage to swing even once. He didn’t become Shaytan’s right-hand without a set of valuable skills, and knowing General Hull and what he’s capable of, I’m sure Blaze is quite the adversary on the battlefield.

“I guess I’ll have to show you, then,” he says, coming closer.

The hungry look in his red eyes spells trouble. I can’t take him on, and I have no idea where Yossul and Fadai are. I do know they can’t blow their cover this early in the game, not without screwing the rest of the mission.

“Don’t be foolish,” I scoff. “I don’t think Shaytan will appreciate you grabbing a slice of this cake before he comes back.”

“I’m in charge of tasting the scrumptious food before we share it,” he chuckles dryly.

I move along the wall, trying to keep at least a few feet between us. I can’t let him lay a hand on me, and damn it, I have to think fast before it’s too late.

“Blaze, there’s something you and Shaytan don’t know. A truth we’ve come upon in the past year. I think it’s time for you to hear it.”

“You’re stalling. Stalling the inevitable, that is.”

“The plague was manufactured in a lab!” I blurt out, sweat blossoming through each of my pores as I struggle to keep my composure. Panic threatens to clog my brain and render me speechless, motionless, and fucking useless. “Solomon Daron was behind it all!”

He stills, narrowing his eyes at me with a mixture of doubt and suspicion. “What are you talking about?”

“We investigated Opal City and Kaos Volcano. We came across Solomon Daron’s research. We have inexhaustible proof that he created the plague virus in his lab, then systematically released it with the sole purpose of destroying Sunna.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. When did you go to Opal City?”

This wasn’t the best idea, but it’s not like I had a better choice. Chances are, the Sky Tribe will now look to Opal City and Kaos Volcano to verify what I just said. It won’t bode well for the people there, but hopefully, we’ll destroy the remaining starships by then.

“It doesn’t matter!” I say. “What matters is we have proof. That’s why we keep trying to stop you from going back to Earth for more of our women. You don’t need to do that anymore. We’ve already developed a vaccine, and we’re getting closer to a cure, too.”

“That’s just lies you’re telling people to get them to side with you,” Blaze replies. I know how the Fire Tribe operates!”

He’s getting angry. Good, at least it’ll keep him distracted from what is obviously a menacing erection struggling against his leather pants. I’m not succumbing to this man. I already have my mates, and I have every intention of going back to them.

“Blaze, you’ve all been lied to for so long; it’s no wonder you don’t believe me. That’s what Solomon wanted,” I say. “He released the virus on purpose. He wanted to watch the world burn down.”

“It’s crazy,” he says. “Why would he do that?”

“He wanted a utopia.” I try to think of a way to tell him the truth without exposing the people of Opal City. “Of course, it blew up in his face. We’re not sure what happened, but they all died anyway. He wanted Opal City all to himself. I think he lost control of the virus since it rapidly mutated once it spread past Red Rock Volcano. His research couldn’t keep up with the strain’s development. We think he intended to turn Opal City into a haven of sorts where he and his chosen few would live in peace and rebuild Sunna once everybody else was dead.”

Blaze stares at me in genuine disbelief. I can tell he’s considering this as a possible truth, but years of indoctrination cannot be so easily overwritten. “I still think you’re stalling, Jewel.”

“No, I swear, he really—” I don’t get to finish my sentence. Blaze moves like a bolt of lightning, ramming into me with his full body weight.

He pins me against the wall, his muscular thigh slipping between my legs as his hands roam up and down my body. Bile gathers in the back of my throat as my body switches to fight mode. I try to hit him, to kick him, but he’s too big, too strong. I’m fucking helpless as Blaze attempts to kiss me. I turn my head to the side, utterly disgusted, while he grabs my shirt, desperate to get under it.

I’m about to pass out from fear. Panting, I try to understand what just happened, but it’s hard to focus when my heart is about to jump out of my chest. Yossul stands before me, still wearing the Sky Tribe colors, his brow furrowed as he measures me from head to toe.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice low and surprisingly calm.

Fadai stays back, one eye on the door they just came through. “We have to go,” he whispers.

“What are you doing here?” I manage, then throw my arms around Yossul’s neck and hold on for dear life. He hugs me tightly, giving me the silent reassurance I so desperately needed. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You were too busy fighting this prick off,” Yossul replies.

We both look down at the fallen lieutenant. Blood trickles from his left ear, slowly pooling on the floor. “Is he dead?”

“I hit the soft spot on the back of his head with this,” Yossul says and shows me a short and heavy club. I’ve seen it on the black guards before. It’s made of limestone and perfect for bashing people’s brains if they get out of line. “Fadai is right. We need to go. Now.”

“What about him?” I ask, pointing at Blaze. “Oh, boy, Shaytan will be so pissed.”

“We’ll have about five minutes, tops before they find him once we’re gone,” Fadai says. “Come on. There’s a back door we can use. It’s why we were late, Jewel.”

“You were trying to find a way out of here for me,” I mumble.

They both smile gently, and I follow Yossul as we leave my cell and head down the hallway through the underground and past the other prisoners. Most of them are too tired or half-dead; they barely notice our movement as we slip through a service door and up a set of narrow stone steps. Once we’re out behind the command center, I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the worst to come.

Five minutes.

We’ve got five minutes to check the hangar and get as much intel about it as possible. It wasn’t supposed to be such a short time frame, but Blaze and Shaytan’s presence in Pearl City mucked everything up. We will have to make do with this little.

And then, we’ll have to get out of here undetected.

“There it is,” Yossul whispers once we reach the hangar.

It’s precisely where we saw it, each point of access heavily guarded by at least a dozen soldiers. Drones fly overhead in a recurring pattern, their bee-like hums echoing across the square. The streets are closed and barricaded with chunks of black limestone and military-grade signage that clearly states the repercussions of trespassing. The people of Pearl City know to keep their distance.

It’s a dark night. The moons are hidden behind heavy clouds, and the streetlights cast long shadows we can use as we sneak around, casing the place as best as we can without detection.

In less than a minute, alarms will sound once Blaze’s body is discovered in the command center’s underground prison. Shaytan Hull will throw quite the hissy fit—not only did the human girl escape, but she also killed his best friend and right-hand man. I doubt he’ll want to keep me alive now.

“What do you see?” Yossul asks as I use the binoculars to study the hangar’s front gate.

“A dozen soldiers and way too many laser weapons, to begin with,” I reply. “We’ll need to draw them away from there in order to infiltrate.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Fadai replies. “We left word at the Blackwood Inn that we were summoned back to Ruby City for commendations and another mission. It keeps our covers clear for at least another day or two.”

“Good. We’ll need all hands on deck for this,” I say.

“Fadai and I will re-enter Pearl City as Hass and Kiel,” Yossul replies. “The Yellow Gang will come through another entry point, and you’ll be with them.”

We’ve already discussed this, but he’s repeating it with purpose. This time, I have to accept my place in the game and play accordingly, not that I can disagree with the decision. The risks we took just to get in here were far too great to begin with.

Blaze popping in proved that we were too close to failure, and so, with a heavy heart and a bruised ego, I have to recalibrate the remainder of our mission parameters.

“There’s a side door we can use,” I whisper and give Yossul the binoculars. Check that east corner. Do you see soldiers coming in and out?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a service door for personnel. See how they check the badges?” I reply.

“If we cause a big enough distraction down one of these shuttered streets, the Yellow Gang can go through there without alerting any of the overhead drones,” Fadai says.

“Precisely,” I say.

With a better idea of how we’re going to do this, we abandon the rest of this first objective. The plan was to find a way in and look inside, too, but the sirens have begun wailing all over Pearl City.

Blaze’s body was found, so the street will soon be riddled with local soldiers and black guards alike. Shaytan Hull will be alerted, and he’ll come roaring back into the neighborhood, too.

We really don’t want to be here for that.

This is the most we’re going to get tonight, and it will have to do, so I let Yossul and Fadai lead the way as we sneak north around the sector and make our way to the northern gates. We hide behind fountains and loosely trimmed hedges decorating the paved sidewalk. We disappear down dark alleyways and wait for throngs of rushing soldiers to pass as the majority of their forces are summoned to the command center for orders regarding my retrieval.

But we eventually make it out of Pearl City. It takes about an hour’s worth of hiding and dashing, of running and climbing, but we make it. We keep to the patches of blackwood trees sprinkled across the valley as the Sky Tribe drones fly out, frantically searching for me.

By the time the moons come out of their hiding place and cast their milky light over the five dormant volcanoes, we’re back where we started, seeking shelter in one of the southernmost mountain’s caves.